Bring science to life for your kids with games.
In sixth grade science, students continue to build their base of elementary science knowledge. Many of the lessons learned in this early middle school class are important for the future development of science understanding. While not all lessons can be taught in a game format, teachers can enhance their students' understanding of this subject by engaging them in the completion of interactive science games germane to sixth grade topics.
Food Chain Sort
The food chain plays an important part in animal survival and interaction. Make this order of operations clear to your students by engaging them in a food chain sort game. To create this game, gather pictures of animals that you and your students have discussed as part of the standard food chain. Create two copies of these animal images on card stock. Jumble the two copies of the images.
When students arrive in class, divide them into two teams. Give each team a copy of the gathered images. Challenge the students to work among themselves to place the animal images in proper order on the floor to represent the food chain.
Predator -- Prey Match-up
Get students moving and thinking about the predator-prey relationship simultaneously. To prepare for this game, write names of predators and their prey on separate index cards. To avoid confusion, write the predator names in one color and the prey names in another. Before students arrive in class, tape all the predator cards on one wall and the prey cards on an opposite wall.
When class begins, divide students into three or four groups. Ask each group to line up in single file approximately halfway between the two walls. Tell the students that, when you say go, one member of each team should run to the predator wall and remove a card, then run to the prey wall and select the card of an animal that is prey to the predator listed on the first card. When students feel they have a match, ask them to bring the card to you, and you either confirm or deny the correctness of the pairing. Continue in this fashion, moving through one team member at a time. The team with the most correct matches at the conclusion of the game wins.
Solar System Unscramble
Test student understanding of the bodies that make up the solar system with this simple unscramble game. To prepare this game, gather images of the bodies that inhabit the solar system. Type out the name of each body in large print. Cut apart the letters of each name and jumble them together, placing each jumbled name in a baggie.
To play, divide students into two teams and distribute the baggies evenly between them. Place your gathered images on the chalkboard or wall. Instruct teams to race to unscramble the words and and tape them under the appropriate picture. The team that successfully unscrambles all of their words first wins the game.
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